SEC Commissioner Peirce defends crypto privacy tools against surveillance push

The leader of the regulator's Crypto Task Force said privacy-enhancing technologies can strengthen investor protection and urged regulators not to treat them with suspicion.

US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Commissioner Hester Peirce said financial privacy is becoming increasingly undervalued in US regulation, warning against treating privacy-preserving technologies with suspicion.

Speaking Wednesday at Georgetown Law, Peirce described privacy-enhancing technologies, including cryptographic tools, as legitimate components of modern financial infrastructure rather than tools primarily associated with criminal activity.

Peirce said that protecting financial privacy does not conflict with national security objectives.

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